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"We got a phone call over Facebook saying he found Ellie and had taken her to the police.

"There are still lots of good people."

What to do if someone goes missing?

You should report a missing person to the police if:

The person is a child

The person is a vulnerable adult

The person has been detained (sectioned) under the Mental Health Act or are legally in the care of another person

You are concerned for the person’s safety

What you should do

The police ask parents and carers, including staff acting in a parenting role in care homes, to undertake reasonable actions to try and establish the whereabouts of the individual.

This could include, but is not limited to;

Attempts to contact the child or adult.

Calling friends or family.

Visiting areas that the child or adult is known to frequent.

Visiting the place where the child or adult was known to be attending (i.e. a friend's house or party).

Checking to see if any items are missing from the home.

Checking social media.

Experience has shown that these initial enquiries yield additional information that helps narrow down any police search. In several cases it has resulted in the early return of the missing person and in some cases it has resulted in there being no additional police involvement as the missing person is located before a full missing person search begins.

How do I report a person missing?

You can report a person missing in the following ways:

Call 999, if the missing person is a vulnerable adult or a child, or you believe them to be in danger, or

Call 101

Go to your local police station

What happens when I report a person missing to the police?

We will ask you to provide as many details as possible to enable us to find the missing person quickly. This could include:

Personal details: Name, date of birth

Appearance including any distinguishing marks

Contact details such as mobile phone number

Medical conditions and whether or not these require medication

Circumstances under which they went missing

Details of friends and relatives

Details of places they often visit

We will use this information to determine the level of risk the missing person is at and what the police response should be.

The information you give us will also be put onto the Police National Computer and circulated to all police forces. Initial inquiries will be made to try to find the missing person.

If they are not found the investigation is passed to a nominated officer who will deal with all further enquiries.